Mandible developer



Feb. 5, 1935. c. o. EDWARDS MANDIBLE DEVELOPER Filed May 22, 1935 INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 5, 1935 I 1,990,225 I f E E OPER; H g I Corma'n Edwards, Oaklan ,oni v A niiplicationlvfay 22, 1933,'sefial m, 652,171 '10 Claims. (o1, laco :11 q

U EDfs EPATEN This-imfentionrelates to a device for the ,cordible is stimulated, and that in time :-.(theflength rection'of mal-formations children, and more of time required depending, ofcoursegupon' the particularly to a device for correcting an under- Jindividual j'case rthemandible' becomes. .normal developed orv improperly formed mandible or in" size and propel-in ,its'po'sition; relative :to the lower jaw," A v n :maxilla or'r: upperjjawsmThise developments-it 5 ,,It is not; uncommon forachildto be born with shouldube understood, takes splacebefore, the? pera lower jaw or mandible that, due to hereditary, lriod of firstzdentition .soathat the: teeth aregn'ot prenatal, or'othercauses isshorter than'normal improperly positioned ,upon their'e'ruptidn'. L T and, in fact,j,in many cases falls far short of One form ofmy invention is illustratediinthe proper position in relation to, the maxilla or upaccompanying"; drawing-Fahd. the, same is de- 10 per jaw; The result in suchcases, where noatscribed in. greater detailinxthe;following specifitentioniis given to the-improperformation, is cation, upon readingwhich.votherobjects: of the thatthe dental arches occurring later in life invention willbecomexapparent.y :1 5 1 :5 are not so aligned-as to cooperate properly in In the drawing?' v v Q, 1'.

l5 mastication, and in manyqcases the dentition 1Fig.. l'is aviewin side elevationofa nursing 1'5 and; in ;fact,-i-the-entire face, of ,the person af- ,bottlemfitted with a mandibledeveloper iconfected' isso badly shaped as to :cause a prostructed in. accordance with my invention; i1 nouncedneformityi in outwardappearance. a c Fig. 2 is a. perspective ,view; of. the "mandible Under present methods of correction it is developer in slightly diiferent-form;lv j

420 voften necessary in, casespf poorly developed i Fig. 3 isxan enlarged-Jragmentary.view a p mandible or lowerjaw. to wait until thedohild is portion of the device taken. onlthe central vertiwell zal'ongjtoward the adolescent age and then "cal longitudinal-plane of Fig. 1 proceed --upon principles oflp orthodontia well :Fig. ,4 is a plan view ofxthe 'portionioffthe. de-v known to7the-medical and-dental professions. V vice shown in Fig.3;tand

26 lt gis :the object of ;the;-presentinvention-to 1 Fig.5 isa perspective;fragmentaryfview.:showprovide adevice, by tnieans o whi h t e maningamodifiedform of theinventio-nl dible; may be developedstarting-from;the time "Referring more particularly ,to'-the; drawing-,I 0f13111311 1 ygry shqrtly,thgreafiqer andipoptlnushow, inFig. 1, a .nursinglbottle 90f conventional ing for whatever period of time is necessary ac- .design fitted with'vtheusualnipple asindicated 30 cording to the; ,condition-of -the individual. The "at 10. .:A' small plate-11,.aidetailed descriptioniof 30 oblecfixof the, inyention also includes ;the prowhich .will follow, Lissupported in a position adjai i of a, device'qfjthis nature that is simple .cent tothenipple,lOby-anysuitabl meansin the 'mechanically, inexpensive l to manufacture, and position required by the circumstances of thepar- ;capable of v ready.adjustment;,to-;accommodate ticular icaseJ; Aijpreferred means for :supporting;

.35 variations the acutenessof"thefl defoi mityin .thevplate is shownjzas-an-arm-12; to oneendof different patients, as well as growth and develop 1 which the: plate 11 is securedinzany 'suitablemanment in the individual patigant; piner, ,The other vend of; the arm I2=is=suitably These objectsare accomplshed by means of a attached; as for example. bysoldering; brazing,-.or

small plate and means for securingthe plate to ,the like,- to a,band;'13whichencircles the bottle.

40 a; nursing bottle: in-such :a "position near the The band 13 has ends 14 and IBbent-outwardly; .4

- to enableitlto suck on the nipplehthegplatepn relativeto the bottle and nippler nipple of the bottle that it will bear against the othe end 14being perforated and .the' end 15. being upper lip of the infant usingfthe ;bottle. The :likewise,,-perforatedandtapped:-for;the :reception ,means-for' connecting the plate to the bottle are 'of a screw 161fitted with a knurled headfforicon v ;.-such that the position of the plate relativeto the wveniencein turning, the: screw totigh'tenitf e45 vnipple'and lengthwise thereof be adjusted Tightening of the'screw" 16;.will draw-thez'ends ,45,

to accommodate cases of ,vsr'yingfaegrees "of '14, and 15 of the bandl3ztowardeachiothenthere- ,acuteness. 1 1 s by causingthe :bandto'engage,thegbottleifric L In practice, the infant using the nursing bottle i'tionally and with;sufficient;force to, -support .the,

is forced toreach'forwa'rdly with the mandible arm- 12 and platell rigidly in .a fixed position the device serving as 1a ;ba rrier nto prevent the ;,-In usingthe mandible developenthedevice as V nipple from being talsen into the mouth without described above 'is fitted ,to a nursingbottle the the forward thrust of th @rnandible: manner and position illustrated in Fig. ,1

- Experiments have prov s at [i co stan in a o e. tr a d is then enni eslt tskei reaq irtvtniszmenner he.s wthvio ithem nvc tent fct qbo tle-by uqlsim: u omtl g ipsl e 16 y v13 1 3 qoemo" a capable j in the ordinary manner; the bottle meanwhile being heldin a position to cause the plate 11 to bear against the upper lip of the infant, preferably about midway between the nose and mouth.

5 Thus the plate 11 limits the distance to which the nipple may be taken into the mouth and the infant with a receding or under-developed lower jaw must thrust the jaw forwardly in order to take food through the nipple.

Continual feeding from a nursing bottle fitted with themandible developer results in growth or v development of the lower jaw until it obtains normal size and a proper position relative to the upper jaw.

plate 11 that is curved slightly inthe direction of the device is being used will not bear -against the arm atlthis point. g f v 1,!

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable metal, preferably polished and plated for thesake of sanitation, b'ut'I prefer that the .25 arm 12 be formed or relatively soft brass or other i metal sufficiently ductile to permit its being shaped b'y'bend-ing soas to adapt the position of the plate 11 to the particular needs of the individual patient; The band 13 and screw 16 permit adjustment of the device longitudinally of the bottle which is of great importance as by such adjustment the infant may be causedto thrust the jaw forwardly more or less asmaybe required to obtain the development desired. In acute cases it will be readily understood that the development must be accomplished in stages, the plate 11 being first positioned in a retracted position and then gradually advanced toward the distal end ofthe nipple as the development proceeds. 4O

13 as generally octagonal in shape to fit the standard octagonal nursing bottle; and the band may be madeinany desired shape according tothe type of bottle with which it is to be used w The formof the plate 11 is best illustrated in Figs; 3 and wherein it is shown as generally rectangular with rounded corners and slightly dishedto conform to the shape of the' 'uppe'r lip, against which it rests, as comfortably as possible.

' so The plate may also slightly narrower at its centralportion than atits'endsms shown, to insure against'conta'ct of the upper edge against the "noseoftheinfant. t. 7 Asstated above, itis contemplated that adjust- 5 ment of the position of the plate -11 will be made g to accommodate individual infants, and in order thatsuch adjustment may be accomplished more readilythan by bending of the arm 12,1 have illustrated a modified form of adjusting means in Fig.

"00 501 thodrawing'. I

In Fig. 5 the arm 12 is made in two sections, the

5 ends of which are flattened and perforated for the reception of a screw 18', about which the arms are relatively ,pi'vot'able. Upon loosening the screw 1 8, the plate 11 will be free to swin'g toga position o'f'desired adjustment and it may befixed in'such position by tightening thescre'w.

' "Fl-ro'm 'the foregoing it beapparent that I have provided a device that iskve'ry useful for -the purpose described, that "issimple to apply to a ff'iu'rsihg'bottle, sodas-s constructed that it may easily be remove and sterilizedfatlrequent in- I some. 1 l

tmemwitnme device meta tases of feeding ens-carin Referring again to Fig. l of the drawing, the arm 12 is shown as having a portionol'l adjacentto the j V parts within the spirit and scope of the appended the nipple. This curve is provided so that the v infants nose which extends over the plate lluwhen lower jaw of an infanty'which comprises a plate :In'FigrZ of thedrawing,-I have shown the band engaging platepositioned adjacent to the nipple "o'f'said nursing bottle and ensmable' with the and a support for said 'oarried by-th'e'said fants, iwhich'fcomprisesa band adapted to suran arm supported-by jsa'id band, and o plate *to cause the fir fant to thrust its mandible forwardly when suckingon thenipple;

' plate -b an infant in ordinary respects." It is preferable, however, that the device. be used only under the advice and direction of a doctor or person highly skilled in the art. The adjustments necessary and the extent and durationof use of the mandi- 5 claims." o

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. The combination with a,nipple. through which an infant's'ucks food, ofia plate, and means to support said; plate in a position adjacent to said nipple to 'contact'the upper lipqohly of the infant, whereby-the nipple may be taken into the mouth'only when the lower-"jawgisithrust forwardly.m

2. The combination with a nursing bottleand a nipple therefor of a; devio'e i'or developing the so positioned adj'acerit to the nipple of said'nursing -bottletobear'again'st the upper'lip only or an infant sucking the nipple, whereby: the lowerjaw of theinfant must be thrust forwardly to enable it to suck upon the nipple. r

, o as '3. The combination with "a nursing bottle and a nipple therefor of a ,device' 'for-developing the lower jawoi' an infant, which-comprises'a lipen'gaging plate'positioned adjacontto th'e nipple or said nursing bottleand engageablmwith the upperlipof an i'nfant sucking th'e'nipple.

j 4. The combination-with anunsing bottle and a nipple therefor- 0f a Y device for developing. the lower jaw" of an infanh; which comprises a lipupper lip only of- -an-infant;sucking the mpple,

bottle v q 5. The combination'with a nursing'b'ottle and'a "nipple therefor or a dot-item; developing the lower jaw of infant, which comprises a plate positioned: adjacent to the nipple of said nursing bottle-and engageable; with the upper lip of an infantsucking" the nipple, a support for said plate carried by the* bottle, and means for adjusting said support longitudinally of the bottle.

6. A device for developingthemandible in inround (a nursing bottle havlng the usual nipple,

ried by said amend held thereby in a position "adjacent tea-nipple on the bottle'forengag'e- 5 out with the face ofan infant using the "nipple '1. The combination with a nursing bottle ssv ing the-usual nipplerof a plate ummdfb? the ibottlejin ajposition adjacent tothe tocohftactfth'e facev'of an infant using the bottle; said 's. A device for developing'the mandible in mbottle having the usual nipple, a band surrounding the bottle and fixed thereon for longitudinal adjustment relative thereto, an arm supported by said band and'extending to a point adjacent to said nipple, a plate carried by said arm for engagement with the face of an infant using the nipple, and a hinged joint in said arm whereby said plate may be adjusted in its position relative to the nipple.

9. A device for developing the mandible in infants, which comprises in combination a nursing bottle having the usual nipple, a band surrounding the bottle and fixed thereon for longitudinal adjustment relative thereto, an arm supported by said band and extending to a point adjacent to said nipple, and a plate carried by said arm for engagement with the face of an infant using the nipple, said arm being formed of material sufficiently ductile to permit its being bent to adjust the position of said plate relative to the nipple.

10. A device for developing the lower jaw of an infant wl'hch comprises, in combination with a nursing bottle having the usual nipple, a plate engageable with the upper lip of the infant, means carried by the bottlev for supporting said plate in a position adjacent the nipple so as to cause the infant to thrust forward the lower jaw in order to suck upon the nipple, and. means for adjusting the position of said plate relative to the nipple to vary the distance that the jaw must be thrust forwardly.

CORMAN 0. EDWARDS. 

